As of last year, Berkeley Tower’s Co-op in Woodside, Queens saved an estimate of $1 million dollars to renovate the buildings’ 50 year old terraces, which were in dire need of a face lift. The company that is currently working on the Berkeley Tower’s Co-op is a construction company named Yates.
These renovations have more than just one down side. Many residents not only have to close up their terraces for a year (manadatory precaution for demolition of parts of terrace), yet must endure several defeaning drill sounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Construction began several months ago and since then almost all of Berkeley’s residents complained to Berkeley’s Management office in the Jefferson building that the drills are supposed to have mufflers. If the drills have mufflers the sound would not penetrate throughout the building the way it does.
The majority of Berkeley residents are senior citizens and do not work, so the sound is a hinderance.One resident stated that “I leave the house during the day just to be rid of the sounds.”
Renovations must be conducted to ensure the safety of residents and the stability of their terraces. Thus, the project may cause confliction but it is neccessary that it is done and done correctly; drills must be used whether there are mufflers on the drills or not.
The Berkeley Tower’s Corporation consists of three apartment complexes: the Washington, the Madison, and the Jefferson. Renovations on the Washington were completed in November. Work on the Jefferson and the Madison will be done by the end of 2011. Berkeley residents still have another year of listening to the noisemakers of Berkeley!
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- My father couldn’t put his Christmas decorations this year, something he has been doing for the past 24 years.
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- The drill was used to break off cement that has held the terraces since the late 50’s into the early 60’s.
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- Scaffolding at the back of the Berkeley’s Jefferson building.
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- A Berkeley resident is suing Berkeley Towers because he doesn’t want to tak down his room.
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- Waking up all Berkeley Tower residents at the crack of 9:00 A.M. by deafening drilling.
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- The reason why my dad and other Berekeley residents can’t decorate or have piece of mind on a daily basis.
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- Scaffolding at the back of the Berkeley’s Jefferson building.
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- Workers going down on scaffolding to work on another floor.
